Announcing the Pan-African Health Tourism Congress 2017

PRESS OFFICE: Pan-African Health Tourism Congress

The Pan-African Health Tourism Congress is the flagship event of the health tourism sector, the convention has a mandate: “expand the industry to address a broader market,” The 2017 Congress has been designed to serve as the exemplar of the optimised African health tourism event model under the banner “Taping a larger share of the health wallet”, seeking to table and endorse policies and strategies which will expand the health tourism industry to address a broader market – meaning more business for all.

The regional high-end health market will not only promote regional trade, it will also help finance universal health coverage at least for primary healthcare in some African countries while promoting health tourism in Africa through commercial diplomacy.

The Congress is scheduled to take place from 8-9 June at the uMfolozi Hotel Casino Convention Resort, Empageni, Richards Bay.

Congress aims

  • Fully reveal what health tourism is – and even more importantly, what it can be
  • Promote the integration of the health tourism segments, the sector-supporting industries and the domain stakeholders
  • Demonstrate the benefits of the ht8 approach to segmentation, integration, administration, development and promotion [medical tourism, dental tourism, spa tourism (includes thermalism and thalassotherapy), wellness tourism, sports tourism (not for spectators), culinary tourism (in the context of healthy cuisine), accessible tourism, assisted residential tourism (retirement housing and care – abroad)]
  • Ensure that no health tourism destination is left behind
  • Further enhance the rapidly growing African ‘wellness in the wilderness’ concept that ties in a traditional safari with activities such as yoga, meditation and spa treatments.

Expected congress outcome

  • Explore business and investment opportunities with Africa’s growing healthcare sector and learn more about the changing regulatory landscape from renowned industry experts from around the world
  • Create collaborations on immigration policies in a bid to positively impact medical tourism in Africa
  • Exchange ideas and ultimately grow health tourism brand presence across the African continent.
  • Draw new models of investing in health and hospitality development, improving hospital governance and generating public private partnerships.
  • Impact on SMME’s development given the exposure to the market
  • African Nations to also become health tourism destinations of choice – there is no competing destination in medical tourism.
  • Formal health tourism education – the creation of career paths and employment opportunities in the sector and allied industries.
  • Clear definition of government’s role in developing health tourism destinations (regulatory framework, planning and support)

For more information contact Ashley Santos on 011 436-9014, or email her at [email protected]. You can also visit the Congress website, www.panafricanhealthtourismcongress.com, or see the event listing on How we made it in Africa. Join the conversation on Twitter @PAHTC2017 #PAHTC2017.